It’s going to be a rough plane ride back to the 315 for Syracuse. Number 19 Auburn steamrolled Syracuse, dominating from about the halfway point of the first half to the final buzzer. 
Auburn got a couple of lucky shots (some wild 3s, to be exact) to break the game open, and those shots got the Tigers jacked up on defense. There was no chance for the Orange after the Tigers turned on the defensive pressure.
Auburn’s athleticism consistently outshone Syracuse’s ability to shoot the three. After the Orange went cold from behind the arc midway through the first half, Bruce Pearl’s crew went ballistic. Alley-oop lobs and transition buckets carried Auburn to a double-digit halftime lead.
Auburn had no problem working the ball up, down and around the 2-3 zone. Superstar freshman Jabari Smith Jr. had 22 points, six rebounds and four assists. He also woofed at Jim Boeheim, drawing some respect and some ire on the world of social media.
This game wasn’t pretty, in any sense. Syracuse has a lot to figure out with brutal matchups against Indiana and Florida State coming up this week.
